Industries and retailers are beginning to take notice of Russellville’s growth and economic incline, making the area an ideal location for several promising businesses, according to a representative from the Russellville Chamber of Commerce.

Jeff Pipkin, president of the Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Development (AVAED), said due to economic turmoil that has turned businesses away for the last five years now fading, retailers and manufacturers are looking at the Arkansas River Valley to open shop. He added industrial growth has hit the region in the last few years and continues to grow — as seen with the scheduled opening of a new manufacturing facility by Chicago-based Precision Surveillance Company (PSC) — causing a domino effect that will draw retailers to the area.

“PSC is what I like to call a value-added business. They’re a manufacturer that’s taking numerous parts and converting them into a final product that has value added,” Pipkin said. “Those are the types of businesses that you need in order to sustain and continue that growth that retailers see.”

Pipkin said at ARVAED’s meeting Thursday that PSC has encountered some engineering delays, but expects to begin hiring in late September or early October. The company’s expected to add up to 25 local jobs and invest up to about $1.5 million in the area.

Pipkin said the River Valley has been unique in the last five years in that even in some of the country’s worst economic periods, no local manufacturers shut down.

“We’ve got a really strong industrial base,” he said. “We’re one of the few places quite possibly in the nation that can say that none of our manufacturers have closed their doors in the last five years.”

He added that as retailers follow suit and begin opening locations in the River Valley, more jobs will become available, specifically to college students. He said the city was contacted last month by the Roosa Development Company, which is interested in pursuing plans once again for a shopping center on Weir Road it previously abandoned due to economic stress.

“They contacted me and said that they’re back and the project’s back, and that they’re actively trying to find tenants for a shopping center,” he said. “They feel confident that the economy has strengthened enough that they can get active on this project. ... Right now we’re just waiting to see what the next step is.”